Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Prime Minister of Malaysia agree to establish a branch of the Muslim Council of Elders in Malaysia

His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders, welcomed His Excellency Anwar Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Malaysia, for discussions on strengthening mutual cooperation.

During the meeting, the Grand Imam warmly emphasized the deep and unique ties between Al-Azhar, the Muslim Council of Elders, and Malaysia and commended Malaysia as a pioneering model of pluralism, diversity, and peaceful coexistence.

For his part, the Prime Minister of Malaysia highlighted the significance of the Grand Imam’s recent visit to Malaysia and its profound impact on the Malaysian people, who hold great respect for Al-Azhar and the Grand Imam. He also noted that the visit had led to several important projects and mentioned the significance of the Grand Imam’s lecture to the Malaysian public, which had been translated into Malay and distributed widely across mosques, educational institutions, libraries, and cultural centers.

The Prime Minister also conveyed the Malaysian government’s enthusiasm for establishing an office for the Muslim Council of Elders in Malaysia, stating that the coming period would see enhanced cooperation between Al-Azhar, the Muslim Council of Elders, and Southeast Asian nations.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the Prime Minister of Malaysia presented the Grand Imam with a copy of the translated lecture delivered during his recent visit to Malaysia. In return, the Grand Imam gifted the Prime Minister a copy of the book "The Pope and Grand Imam: A Thorny Path" by Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam, Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders.